Another Rumor
by phoenixfirekitsune
Summary: Sequel to Rumored Relationship. Another rumor has taken hold of the tennis circuit. Tezuka and Fuji's relationship continues to develop as one between Atobe and Jirou begins. Shounen-ai: Perfect Pair and Adorable Pair/AtobexJirou.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.

* * *

Chapter 1

Tezuka's eyes roved over the tennis courts where Seigaku's Regulars were currently training. For once, everything seemed peaceful. Momoshiro and Kaido were actually being civil to one another. Inui was not poisoning anyone with those vile concoctions of his that he dared to call juice. Kikumaru was calm under Oishi's presence. Kawamura was not creating a spectacle with his Burning mode. Echizen was less of a snarky brat than usual. Even Fuji seemed to have reigned in his sadistic tendencies for the day.

"Tezuka! Where the hell is that bastard of a tensai you call your boyfriend?!"

The bespectacled boy sighed. 'There goes the peacefulness.' He turned to face Hyotei's captain who had just entered the courts. "Is there something I can help you with, Atobe?"

The silver-haired captain scowled elegantly, as only he could do. "Do you have any idea of how severely your pet tensai has disrupted the order of Ore-sama's lifestyle?"

"Get to the point, Atobe."

"The point is that one Fuji Syuusuke decided it was prudent to tell all of Hyotei that Ore-sama was in a relationship with Jirou."

"Actually, I said that it was annoying having to tip-toe around your relationship with Jirou-san and that you sleep with him."

The two captains looked down to see a smiling Fuji who once again succeeded in having his voice carry throughout the tennis courts.

Atobe grit his teeth as the tensai's words caused an immediate flurry of gossip to sweep over the courts.

"No way! Atobe-san is going out with his singles two player?"

"So he's dating the kid who's always falling asleep?"

"Come to think of it, I think the two of them have gone to the street courts together before."

"Damn. Is having the singles one and singles two player of each school getting together a new fad or something?"

"Next thing you know, we'll be hearing that Rikkai's top two singles players are actually boyfriends too."

Tezuka's eyebrow twitched as the gossiping grew louder and practicing was forgotten. "Everyone! Twenty laps now!"

Most of the members jumped in surprise but immediately began running before Tezuka could add any more laps to the count.

"That includes you, Syuusuke."

Fuji pouted up at his boyfriend. "Mou, but I'm having a conversation with Atobe."

"No favorites, Syuusuke."

"Mit-su mean-ie." Fuji pouted more pronouncedly before smiling and joining the other members in running laps.

Tezuka returned his attention to the other captain. "You were saying?"

"Hn." Atobe smirked. "At least it was your practice this time instead of mine."

"Sugoi~! Fuji Syuusuke! Play a match with me when you're done, okay?!"

Both captains turned to see the Hyotei Regulars lined up outside of the courts. Jirou bounced excitedly at the chance to visit one of his favorite players.

"Oi!" Atobe called over to his team, frowning. "Ore-sama told you to continue practice."

Gakuto smirked. "Jirou just had to come when he heard that his boyfriend was going to visit Seigaku. Seriously though, how the hell can you be a good boyfriend if you're ditching Jirou everywhere? What if he gets molested by some pervert?"

Shishido rolled his eyes. "The only perverts at Hyotei are you and Oshitari."

"Shishido-san…" Ohtori scolded lightly.

"You know it's true, Choutarou."

"Oi, Atobe." Oshitari called, tilting his head towards the runners. "Seigaku just stole your boyfriend."

* * *

"Ne, ne? You'll play a match with me, right?" Jirou bounced happily alongside his favorite Seigaku player.

Fuji looked on amused as the usually sleepy player easily kept up with the quick pace he had set. "If there's time I will. So, how are things with you and Atobe?"

The volley specialist's bright smile dropped slightly. "Ah, about that…" His eyes flicked to the side before returning to Fuji. "Ano, I have to apologize for that rumor Keigo started about you and Tezuka."

"Don't worry about it." The brunette waved the apology off. "If it wasn't for that rumor, then I may never have gotten together with Kunimitsu."

"Really?! You two weren't already…Oh…" Jirou's eyes lit up with realization. "So that's why you thanked Kei-chan."

"Mm. You're sharper than most people give you credit for."

The strawberry-blonde shrugged. "Most people don't expect me to be so attentive since I'm sleeping most of the time. You, on the other hand, have been given the title of tensai, so I'm pretty sure that you know that Kei-chan's not my boyfriend yet."

"Yet?"

"Well, it would be a shame to waste this chance that you've given me. After all…" The Hyotei player's smile seemed to darken slightly. "Everyone knows that Keigo's sleeping with me."

Fuji's eyes opened, locking onto the other boy's. "Saa…" He smirked. "So you did understand what I meant to do when I came to Hyotei the other day."

"Of course I did." Jirou giggled. "Even Ohtori thinks that I'm having sex with Keigo, and that boy's the most innocent thing that you'll ever find."

"I suppose that it's safe to assume that you will be trying to seduce Atobe then?"

"I don't think that 'seduce' is the right word. I mean, I think Keigo feels something for me, but…"

"But you don't know whether it's love or just plain affection for a friend and teammate."

"Yeah. Kei-chan kind of treats me like I'm a puppy or something."

Fuji giggled.

"What?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Why do you say that?"

"Well, whenever I sleep in his lap, Kei-chan always pets me. And it kind of has something to do with how we met too."

"How so?"

"Eto…"

Fuji stopped running and led Jirou underneath the shade of a nearby tree. "Sit down. Kunimitsu is busy with the rest of your team, so we have some time before anyone looks for us."

After they were both seated on the grass, Jirou sighed and resumed talking.

"Once when I was little, I got separated from my family at the playground. I was kind of scared because there were a lot of adults around because of some convention or something in the area nearby, and I couldn't find my parents. That's when Keigo found me. We talked for a bit before he led me to his parents. Kei-chan wanted to keep me instead of getting a puppy like they had promised him. He, um…He said…" Jirou trailed off, blushing.

Fuji smiled and moved closer to the other boy. "Go on."

"He said that I was cuter than any puppy they could get him."

Fuji chuckled as Jirou turned a darker shade of red. "Well, that's certainly a good sign. Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be able to get Atobe to realize his feelings for you."

The smaller boy nodded before turning to face Fuji with wide eyes. "Will you help me?"

"Eh?"

"You were able to get Tezuka to confess to you, right? So you have experience with this type of thing. Keigo can pick up on the slightest thing in tennis, but after all this time he still doesn't know that I like him! Help me! Please?"

The tensai smiled softly. "Sure. I suppose I can help you with Atobe."

"Really?! Sugee~!" Jirou tackled Fuji to the ground, arms wrapped around the other boy's waist. "You're the best!"

"Jirou!"

Both of the boys on the ground looked up to see Atobe stalking towards them with the rest of Hyotei and Tezuka following.

"Ore-sama is leaving. Let's go."

"Okay, Kei-chan!" Giving Fuji one last hug, Jirou let go and followed Atobe. "Bye-bye, Fuji Syuusuke!"

Fuji waved and held back a giggle as he watched the strawberry-blonde boy tug playfully on Atobe's jersey, babbling excitedly about how they should visit Seigaku more often. He turned and smiled innocently at Tezuka's frowning face. "Is something wrong, Mitsu?"

Tezuka's frown deepened. "What are you planning with Akutagawa?"

"Mou, why do you always assume that I'm planning something?"

"Because you always are."

"It's nothing bad."

"That's what you said when we visited Hyotei, and I have a feeling that it'll be worse than that."

"Well then, how about this?" Fuji wrapped his arms around his captain's neck. "If I do something you think is bad, then you can punish me for it later." He pressed his lips against the taller boy's. "Okay?"

Tezuka wrapped one arm around Fuji's waist and used the other to bring his hand up to lightly caress his boyfriend's face. "That's acceptable, but I already think you did something bad, so we'll deal with that tonight."

"Wha-" Fuji was cut off as Tezuka's tongue suddenly invaded his mouth. When they parted, he panted breathlessly and pouted at Tezuka once again. "That's not fair! I haven't even done anything yet, Mitsu!"

"Yet?" Tezuka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oops."

Tezuka smirked and held Fuji tightly against his body. "Then consider it as a preventive measure."

Fuji shuddered in Tezuka's arms. 'This is going to be a long night.'

Tbc…

* * *

A/N: I plan to have Another Rumor concentrate on both the development of a relationship between Jirou and Atobe as well as continuing to develop the relationship between Tezuka and Fuji. Please don't be discouraged in reading if one chapter happens to center around one couple more than the other. Perfect Pair and Adorable Pair are my two favorite Prince of Tennis couple, and I hope to portray both couples to the best of my ability within this story.

To my Perfect Pair fans: Yes, there may be chapters that center on the Adorable Pair, but I plan to have plenty of interaction between Tezuka and Fuji as well as their relationship.

To my Adorable Pair fans: Now you all get to see how Atobe and Jirou deal with their own rumor.

On another note, is anyone interested in reading the full story of how Atobe and Jirou met according to this story? I'm thinking of posting that separately as a side-story that's also a standalone.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.

* * *

Chapter 2

Fuji groaned as he woke up, wincing as he moved his sore hips.

"Morning."

The tensai pouted as he spotted his wide awake boyfriend standing in the doorway. "You do know that it's all your fault that I can't move, don't you?"

Tezuka smirked as he sat down on the bed next to the smaller boy, running his fingers through the other's soft hair. "It's not that bad."

"Says you. Ugh. I am so glad that we don't have practice or classes today."

"Come on." Tezuka stood, holding out his hand. "You'll feel better after a warm bath."

Fuji lifted his arms. "Carry me."

"You can walk."

"No, I can't, and that's all your fault. That's why you have to carry me. Please, Mitsu."

Tezuka sighed but lifted his boyfriend bridal style. He carried the other boy into his bathroom, setting the tensai in the tub where he had drawn a warm bath. "I'll go start breakfast while you're in here."

"'Kay." Fuji sighed as Tezuka left. After cleaning himself, Fuji grabbed his cell phone and relaxed in the tub as he dialed.

"Mm…Hello?" A sleepy voice picked up the other end of the line.

"Jirou-kun, it's Fuji."

"Eh?! Fu-um…Hold on."

Fuji heard muffled voices from the other end before hearing what sounded like a door clicking shut.

"Sorry about that. Keigo was waking up."

"No problem. Are you at Atobe's place right now?"

"Yeah. It was his turn to have me for the night."

"His turn?"

"Uh-huh. We made a schedule back when we were little. Kei-chan gets me every other day. The other days are when I stay with my family."

"So you spend all that time with Atobe, sleep in his bed, sleep in his lap, and he still hasn't done anything?"

"Nope."

"Your future boyfriend is dense."

"In this case, I completely agree. I suppose it might have something to do with how he doesn't like using his Insight on me. He says that he won't invade my privacy like that."

"Now is when he chooses to respect someone's privacy by not using his Insight?"

"Yup."

"I say just kiss him and see what happens."

"Fuji-san~!"

"Well, if he doesn't figure out that you like him after that, then there's no hope for him."

"I can't just kiss him!"

"You already sleep with him."

"But that's different! I've been sleeping with him since we were five!"

"Jirou-kun, you've known Atobe for nearly ten years. I doubt that a kiss would be completely unexpected."

"Well, no…But I've never kissed him on the lips before!"

"Wait, you've kissed Atobe before?"

"Not on the lips."

Fuji stared at his phone before shaking his head in disbelief. 'I don't believe this.'

"Fuji-san? Are you still there?"

"Aa. Jirou-kun, what kinds of things do you and Atobe do together?"

"Um…Lots of things. We play tennis, go out to eat, go to movies, go to amusement parks, just stay at home together, and other stuff like that. Oh! The two of us have gone to Paris before too!"

"Just the two of you?"

"Yeah."

"…Jirou-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Remind me to hit Atobe the next time I see him."

"Why?"

"Because he's an idiot."

"Oh. Damn. Kei-chan just woke up, so I have to go now. I'll call you later and…Wait. How did you get my number?"

"Inui."

"Weird. Oh well. I'll talk to you later. Bye-bye, Fuji Syuusuke!"

"Bye." Fuji hung up his phone and sighed. 'And I thought that Kunimitsu was clueless when it came to relationships.' Getting out of the bath, he got dressed and went down to have breakfast with Tezuka.

* * *

"Who was that, Jirou?"

"Oh, it was no one important." Jirou smiled as he spotted Atobe sitting up in bed. He yawned and laid back down, snuggling into his pillow.

"Get up." Atobe pulled a whining Jirou into a sitting position. "Ore-sama has already sent for breakfast."

"Not hungry."

"Ore-sama ordered pancakes."

"With whipped cream?"

"Yes."

"And strawberries?"

"Yes."

"And syrup?"

"Yes."

"And powdered sugar?"

"Yes."

"And do the pancakes have chocolate-chips in them?"

"Jirou."

"Do they?"

"Yes, they do."

"Oh." Jirou rubbed his eyes and smiled brightly. "I guess I can stay awake for a while then."

Atobe sighed as he watched Jirou bounce on his bed lightly. "You still need to wash up before breakfast."

"Okay!" The strawberry-blonde dashed into the bathroom and quickly got ready for the day. "Kei-chan!" Jirou rushed back into the bedroom, pushing Atobe off the bed and towards the bathroom. "Hurry up and get ready!"

"Don't push Ore-sama, Jirou."

"Then hurry up and go get ready. We have chocolate-chip pancakes topped with strawberries, syrup, whipped cream, and powdered sugar coming!"

The taller boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them once again. "You have that coming. Ore-sama is having normal pancakes that won't leave behind a mouth full of cavities. Ore-sama doesn't understand how you can actually enjoy something so disgustingly sweet."

"Of course I like sweet things." Jirou smiled up at his captain. "After all, I like you."

Atobe froze on his way to the bathroom and shot a glare over his shoulder. "Ore-sama is NOT sweet."

"Yes you are! Well, you're sweet to me at least. You're also pretty nice to Ohtori too, but everyone is nice to him. Of course, that might have something to do with Shishido. He always throws a fit whenever Ohtori is upset or beats up whoever made Ohtori upset if it was a guy. He'll yell a lot at the person no matter if it's a boy or a girl, but he still won't hit a girl no matter how pissed off he gets. He's nice like that, ne?"

It took all of Atobe's inner strength not to scream at Jirou about how most of what the boy just said had absolutely nothing to do with what they were talking about, and that he was an Atobe. Atobes should never be described with the word sweet. Atobes were dignifies, elegant, and your worst nightmare when crossed. They were not sweet.

"Kei-chan! Stop standing there staring into space! Pancakes are coming! Wake up and get dressed and everything already!"

The silver-haired boy blinked in surprise. 'Did Jirou of all people just tell Ore-sama to wake up? The world is coming to an end.' Atobe shook his head in order to clear his thoughts before continuing to the bathroom to prepare for the day. 'Ore-sama needs to keep Jirou away from Seigaku. Their tensai's weirdness is starting to corrupt him. He's already acting stranger than usual.'

Once Atobe closed the bathroom door, Jirou grabbed his cell phone and browsed through his call history list, calling a certain number.

"Jirou-kun, you'll have to make this quick. Kunimitsu just stepped into the kitchen to get some juice for me, so he'll be back soon."

"Then I won't take long. Do the two of you have anything planned for today?"

"Not really. Why?"

"Let's go on a double date. Me and Keigo with you and Tezuka."

"Sounds interesting. Will you be able to convince Atobe to come?"

"Yup. That's no problem. Will you be able to convince Tezuka to come?"

"Of course. Besides, he owes me for last night?"

"Eh?"

"Nothing. Meet us at the front of the park at noon, okay?"

"Sounds good. See you then." Jirou hung up his phone and wrapped his arms around a returning Atobe's waist, smiling up at the other boy. "Guess what, Kei-chan! We're going on a double date with Seigaku's Fuji Syuusuke and Tezuka!"

"What?!"

Tbc...

* * *

A/N: For anyone who is interested, I wrote a side-story to Another Rumor titled Lost and Found. It is the full story of how Atobe and Jirou met according to this story.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.

* * *

Chapter 3

'How did I get roped into this?' Tezuka sighed in exasperation. He was currently standing in front of the park, waiting for his Hyotei rival to arrive with Fuji's hyper fanboy. "Syuusuke, explain to me exactly why we are about to go on a double date with Atobe and Akutagawa."

Fuji blinked up at the taller boy. "Because it'll be fun of course."

"For who?"

"Everyone. That's why people have double dates. Besides, you owe me for last night."

"I do not."

"Do so. Meanie."

"How can I be considered mean when you were begging for it?"

"…Shut up."

Atobe's limo pulled up, and Jirou quickly ushered the Seigaku boys in.

"Fuji Syuusuke!"

Fuji giggled as he petted the strawberry-blonde who had glomped onto his arm. "Hello to you too, Jirou-kun."

Jirou grinned brightly, happily chatting away to the tensai.

Atobe watched as Jirou latched onto the other boy and scowled. 'Why the hell is a double date including Ore-sama, Jirou, Tezuka, and Fuji even occurring? Why did Ore-sama give into Jirou again?' Thinking back to the events prior to leaving his mansion, the silver-haired boy groaned quietly.

When Jirou had first announced that they were going on a double date with Seigaku's top two singles players, Atobe had looked at the other boy in disbelief before plainly stating that no such thing was going to happen. The normally sleepy boy pouted at his captain and pleased for Atobe's compliance. When such actions still failed to convince the taller boy, Jirou snuggled next to his captain, turning large puppy-dog eyes on his friend. Atobe caved in a second.

'Ore-sama needs to make the use of such eyes illegal.' Focusing his attention on his fellow captain, Atobe took slight satisfaction in the fact that Tezuka seemed just as displeased as he was at their current situation. "Na, Tezuka? Don't tell Ore-sama that you were unable to go against your tensai's wishes to come here. He doesn't already have you on a leash, does he?"

Tezuka scowled at his rival. "I could say the same thing about you, Atobe, or did you come up with this idea to have a double date yourself because you couldn't satisfy Akutagawa on your own and needed advice?"

The glare Atobe shot at Tezuka was a mixture of disbelief and fury.

"Kei-chan, calm down." Jirou held onto the taller boy's arm as Fuji did the same with Tezuka. "We're supposed to be having fun, not fighting. Play nice with Seigaku, okay?"

"And what reason does Ore-sama have to 'play nice' with Seigaku?"

"Please, Kei-chan. Do it for me."

Atobe took a deep breath before nodding. 'Ore-sama is finding a way to make those eyes illegal as soon as possible.'

"You'll be good too, ne Kunimitsu?"

Tezuka frowned at his smiling boyfriend. "Hn."

Fuji placed a quick kiss to his boyfriend's cheek before turning towards the other two present. "Is there anywhere in specific that either of you want to go to?"

"Home."

Jirou smacked Atobe's arm lightly. "Mou~. Stop being such a spoilsport, Keigo. I want to go to the amusement park."

"Jirou, you went there last week."

"But that was different! We were with the other Regulars!"

"Ore-sama sees no difference."

"The difference is that this is a double date, Atobe." Fuji cut in, using a sweet voice. "You couldn't have had much time alone with your boyfriend when all of your teammates were there as well."

Atobe glared at the tensai. "If you are so concerned about Ore-sama's time alone with Jirou, then exactly why are you here?"

"Because Jirou-kun wanted to have a double date."

"Jirou?"

The strawberry-blonde smiled shyly up at his captain, glancing up through lowered lashes. "I thought it would be fun." He said meekly. "It's okay if you don't want to go on a date with me though, Keigo. We can just drop Fuji-san and Tezuka off wherever they want, and then you can take me home to my place."

'Why does Ore-sama feel like Ore-sama just kicked a puppy?' Atobe sighed and stroked his player's hair gently before tilting the smaller boy's head up so that their eyes met. "That's not what Ore-sama meant. Besides, today is Ore-sama's day to have you."

"Does that mean you don't mind going on a date with me?"

"Ore-sama prefers you over any of those loud females that fawn over Ore-sama."

"Yay!" Jirou smiled brightly and snuggled against his captain's arm. "Then we can go on a date after practice tomorrow!"

"What?"

"You said that you didn't mind going on a date with me, right?"

"Ore-sama did, but-"

"Yay!"

Fuji chuckled as Jirou neatly trapped Atobe into going on a real date with him.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Tezuka spoke quietly into Fuji's ear.

The tensai shivered as Tezuka's voice seemed to resonate within his body. "Ah." He breathed out. "Jirou-kun is pretty good at manipulating Atobe."

The bespectacled boy chuckled deeply, enjoying the way Fuji reacted as his lips brushed lightly against the other's ear. "Did you teach him how to do that?"

"I didn't have to. He's had Atobe wrapped around his finger for years."

Tezuka sighed and kissed the top of Fuji's head. "Then why are you busy playing matchmaker with them?"

"Because Jirou-kun asked me to help him. Besides, it's fun watching Atobe crumble just because he can't say no to Jirou-kun."

"You really are bad at times."

"And you love it."

Tezuka smirked and tilted Fuji's head up for a lingering kiss.

"Ore-sama never thought that there would be a day where Tezuka Kunimitsu openly displayed affection with anyone."

Fuji pouted as Atobe's words caused his boyfriend to break the kiss. "You're the one who said that you were tired of tip-toeing around our relationship, Atobe. Do us all a favor and take your own advice."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I mean shut up and kiss Jirou-kun already."

"Fuji-san!" Jirou yelped as Atobe tried to figure out exactly how much trouble he would get in if he made the tensai suddenly disappear.

"Honestly, what kind of person won't kiss his own boyfriend?"

'Ore-sama can bribe a judge. Tezuka will just have to learn to live without Fuji.' Atobe continued to fume quietly until they arrived at the amusement park.

"Oh~!" Jirou bounced in place as they entered the amusement park, tugging on Atobe's sleeve. "Kei-chan! Kei-chan! Let's go on the rollercoaster!"

The Hyotei captain smiled down at the bouncing strawberry-blonde bundle. "As you wish."

"Yay!" The volley specialist started to run forward only to be stopped by a hand grabbing his own.

"Jirou, don't wander off by yourself. You could get lost."

"Oh yeah, but Kei-chan will always find me, ne?" Jirou giggled and snuggled against his captain's arm. "Kei-chan always finds me."

"Aw!" Fuji cooed quietly, lacing his fingers together with Tezuka's. "Aren't they cute?"

Tezuka shrugged. "You're cuter."

The tensai blinked up at his captain, blue eyes opened wide in surprise.

The taller boy chuckled softly and gently stroked the other's cheek. "Let's go."

Fuji shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Hm…I was supposed to do something."

Jirou blinked and turned towards the Seigaku players. "Fuji-san, you told me to remind you."

"Now I remember." Fuji reached over and smacked Atobe with his free hand.

"What was that for?" Atobe scowled at the shorter boy.

"For being so dense."

Jirou laughed and pulled Atobe forward lightly. "Let's go! Let's go!"

Atobe glared at the tensai but allowed Jirou to pull him in line for the rollercoaster.

"Sugee~! It's so big! And I bet it goes really fast!"

"Jirou, you went on it just last week. You already know how fast it goes."

"But still!"

Atobe shook his head in amusement and climbed into the rollercoaster next to Jirou. As the ride ascended to the top of the first drop, he felt the smaller boy move closer to him. Looking over at the other, Atobe was met with the sight of wide doe eyes.

"It's going so high!" Jirou exclaimed excitedly.

The rollercoaster came to a stop at the top of the peak, allowing the passengers a complete view of the amusement park and the fall about to occur.

"Kei-chan?" Jirou asked, gripping the other's arm tightly.

"Yes, Jirou?"

"I forgot that it went this high."

"You just rode this last week. How did you forget-"

"Eek!"

The rollercoaster plunged down, quickly gaining momentum. After a series of loops and more drops, with Jirou gripping Atobe's arm tight enough to cut off the circulation the entire way, the ride coasted to a stop.

Atobe gently pried the strawberry-blonde's fingers off of his arm, flexing slightly to get his blood circulating again, and released both of their harnesses before helping his player out of the rollercoaster. "Jirou…Jirou!"

"Huh?"

"Are you alright?"

"Sugoi~! Let's go again!"

"…You're fine."

"Saa, that was fun, ne Mitsu?"

Atobe turned and realized that the Seigaku players had been behind them the entire time. "Ore-sama takes it that you enjoyed the ride, Fuji?"

Fuji giggled and cuddled against his boyfriend's arm. "Of course! I got to hold on to Mitsu the entire time!"

Atobe frowned slightly. 'Ore-sama doesn't see why that would make anyone so happy. It's nothing special. After all, Jirou clings to Ore-sama whenever we ride this all the time."

Fuji rolled his eyes behind his closed eyelids as he saw that the Hyotei captain did not understand what he was implying. 'I can't believe that Atobe is being this dense. Jirou-kun clung to him throughout the entire ride! Although, I do suppose that Jirou-kun does cling to a lot of people, just like Eiji. Hm…I wonder if that would clue Atobe in.' Smiling sweetly, the tensai tugged on his captain's sleeve. "Mitsu, I want to go into the haunted house."

Tezuka sighed slightly as he realized that his boyfriend was once again up to something. "You always do."

"That's because it's so much fun! Jirou-kun wants to go too, ne?"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

Once they were all inside of the haunted house, Fuji pulled Tezuka along with him ahead of the two Hyotei players. "We'll meet you two at the end."

The Seigaku couple quickly disappeared in the darkness, causing Jirou to blink in surprise. "Eh? Where did they go?"

"It doesn't matter." Atobe sighed in annoyance. "It's not like they're that important."

"I thought that you liked having Tezuka as a rival."

"Ore-sama can always beat Sanada instead."

"What about Echizen?"

The taller boy scowled. "What about that brat?"

Jirou giggled underneath his breath. "Nothing, Kei-chan." He jumped as a loud crash sounded in front of them. "What was that?"

"It's just something the builders of the haunted house put in to scare people. Nothing in here is real, Jirou."

"I know that!" Jirou's indignant exclamation was ruined though as he squeaked and clung to Atobe when a monster popped out in front of them.

Atobe chuckled and took Jirou's hand in his own. "Come on. I'll make sure nothing in here hurts you."

Jirou nodded and clung to Atobe tightly. While the haunted house was usually fun for teasing the other Regulars, this time it seemed to be scarier than usual to the strawberry-blonde. It was as if everything in the building was targeting the two boys. Jirou yelped as something pushed him from behind. He pitched forward onto the ground and was surprised to find it so comfortable.

"Are you alright, Jirou?"

Jirou blinked and pushed himself up from the ground enough to realize that he was not lying on the ground after all. Atobe was lying on the ground beneath Jirou with his arms wrapped around the smaller boy's waist.

"Kei-chan?"

"Who else were you expecting?"

"Right…"

Atobe rose, making sure to keep a secure hold on Jirou's waist until they were both on their feet. He brushed the dirt off of his clothes disdainfully. "What happened?"

"Something pushed me. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to fall on you or get your clothes dirty or…" The volley specialist rambled on while he straightened his captain's clothes.

"Jirou!" Atobe cut off his player's ramblings before gently brushing back strawberry-blonde curls and pressing his lips against the other's forehead. "As long as you are unhurt, then that's all that matters."

Jirou blushed and smiled shyly. "I'm fine. After all, Kei-chan always keeps me safe."

"Good. Now let's get out of here. If we leave fast enough, then we might be able to ditch Seigaku."

* * *

"I don't believe this!" Fuji huffed from inside the haunted house's control room. "How can Atobe still be so dense? I pushed the two of them together. Literally!"

Tezuka sighed and let his eyes wander around the familiar setting. Since Fuji insisted on visiting the haunted house every time he came to the amusement park no matter who he was with, the control staff had come to know the boy quite well. They were completely fine with leaving the tensai in the control room while they took a break so that 'the angelic-looking boy with the sweet smile could make sure his friends had a good time since all of his friends loved the haunted house so much.' The control staff was made up of fools. The only reason any of the Seigaku Regulars went anywhere near the haunted house was out of fear of what Fuji would do to them if they refused. The Hyotei players had gotten off easy today. Fuji was more intent on getting them into a compromising situation than actually scaring them. Whenever the Seigaku Regulars are forced to come here, Kikumaru jumps at the slightest thing for a week afterwards. The rest are always more paranoid as well, but Kaido is the worst. The boy practically faints at the mere mention of this particular haunted house.

"He even kissed Jirou-kun! Granted, it was on the forehead, so it wasn't a real kiss. But still!"

"Syuusuke, enough."

Fuji pouted. "But, Mitsu~!"

"No. You've done enough for today."

"But-"

Tezuka gave the other's backside a sharp smack as the tensai bent over the control panel once again, making him squeak and spin around.

"Mou, what was that for? Meanie."

"Akutagawa already got Atobe to go out with him tomorrow, and I'm sure you've given him plenty of advice as well. Let the two of them work the rest out by themselves now, Syuu."

Fuji sighed plaintively. "Fine. I'll leave them alone for now. You didn't have to spank me though."

Tezuka rolled his eyes and headed towards the door. "It's not like you don't deserve one after what you always put everyone through whenever you come here. I'm pretty sure none of the Regulars would be upset if I actually gave you a spanking the next time we came here."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Come on. I wouldn't put it past Atobe to actually leave us here."

"Mitsu!"

Tbc...

* * *

A/N: I apologize for how long it took me to get this chapter out. Real life has been pretty hectic lately, and I haven't had as much time to write as I would like. This chapter has been the most difficult to write as well. I hope that it was worth the wait. I'll try to get the next chapter out faster.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.

A/N: I personally think that this chapter has more of an impact if you have read the side-story Lost and Found beforehand, but it is not necessary to have read it to understand this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 4

Atobe sighed as he oversaw his practice. While the fact that the members of his tennfis club were not participation in idle chatter would normally please him, the absolute silence occurring now due to pure shock was unwelcome. Not only were nearly all of the members silent, most were motionless as well. The reason?

"Gakuto~! You're not even trying! Come on! Play for real!"

One awake and hype Akutagawa Jirou who was currently crushing Hyotei's acrobatic player five games to love. This was not a normal occurrence. While Gakuto was a strong doubles player and played singles well enough, Jirou was not Hyotei's singles two player for no reason. The fact that Gakuto was losing was no surprise. Everyone could have predicted that. The shocking thing was that Jirou was actually away to do it. Jirou never truly woke up during practice unless he was playing Atobe. The other Regulars were able to prod him awake for a short while, but he mainly slept through his games. Against Gakuto, Jirou would usually win by about three games because the redhead could never wake him enough to play at his best.

"Gakuto~!" Jirou whined as he swept the last game to win the match. "You didn't even try to win! Get up and play for real this time!"

Gakuto glared from where he sat panting on the ground. "What the hell did you do? Eat five pounds of sugar?!"

"Nope! You're just really low on stamina today. Seriously, why are you so tired already?"

"Why the hell are you so hyper?! Shouldn't you be sleeping on the bench right now?"

Jirou blinked and tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Why would I be doing that?"

Every single member of the tennis club gaped at the volley specialist.

"Yuushi!" Gakuto screamed across the court to his doubles partner. "Someone brainwashed Jirou!"

Oshitari stared at the unusually awake boy with interest. "Apparently they did a pretty good job of it too. I wonder what method was used."

"You would." Shishido muttered from where he stood next to Hyotei's tensai. "I don't even want to know what you would use it for."

"There are endless possibilities."

"Why is everyone acting so weird?" Jirou pouted.

"We're acting weird?" Gakuto asked in disbelief. "You're the one being weird!"

"How am I weird?"

"You're actually awake!"

"So?"

"You're never awake!"

"How can I not be awake?"

"Why are you awake now?"

"Because today is special!"

"What's so special about today?"

"I get to go on a d-"

"Jirou!" Atobe cut the strawberry-blonde off before he could finish that particular word. "Take a break for now."

"But I'm not tired! Gakuto didn't even wear me out. Oshitari, I'm surprised that you haven't tried to improve his stamina since you're his boyfriend and everyt-" Jirou yelped in surprise as he dodged a tennis ball heading straight for his head. "What was that for?!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Gakuto yelled, getting up from the ground and stalking towards the singles player.

Shishido laughed from the sidelines. "Weird or not, that alone made it worth having Jirou brainwashed."

"Shishido-senpai, it's not good at all if Jirou-senpai was brainwashed." Ohtori fretted. "We don't know what kind of side-effects it might have."

"What are you getting so upset about?" Jirou asked as the redhead continued to stalk towards him. "I mean, you should be able to last longer than twenty minutes."

Oshitari, who had been steadily approaching the two on the court, quickly grabbed his boyfriend around the waist as the acrobat dived at Hyotei's usually Sleeping Beauty's throat.

"Let go of me, Yuushi!"

"Now, now, Gakuto." The tensai tried to soothe the suddenly energized bundle of fury. "I don't think that Jirou understands why you are upset and ready to kill him. It does make me wonder what the hell Atobe is doing with him since they're sleeping together, and he still doesn't understand though. Besides, Atobe will probably get you kicked off of the Regulars for attacking his boyfriend."

"But he said-"

"I know what he said, but he doesn't know what he said. You can't kill him for something that he said when he doesn't know what he said even if you know what he said and I know what he said can mean something different than what he thinks he said. He doesn't know that we know that everyone else will know that he said what he doesn't know he said. Because he doesn't know what we know and what everyone else knows, it would be wrong to kill him. Do you know what I mean?"

"No."

"Good."

"Oshitari, take over practice." Atobe commanded as he walked onto the court and grabbed Jirou's hand. "Ore-sama has other business to take care of. Make sure everybody runs since no one seems to be interested in actually practicing."

The bespectacled boy chuckled deeply. "Whatever you say. I'm sure whatever business you have with Jirou is much more important, ah?"

The captain ignored Oshitari and led Jirou into the locker room. "Get changed. We're leaving now."

"Eh?!" Jirou's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean we're going on our date now?"

"Yes. Ore-sama can't stand being around these people for any longer today."

"Yay!" The smaller boy quickly gathered his things together and entered the showers.

Atobe sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he sat down on the sofa in the locker room. 'What did Ore-sama get into? It's unbelievable that Ore-sama is going on a date with Jirou of all people. After all, Ore-sama has known Jirou for nearly ten years now, and never once has Jirou ever shown that he liked Ore-sama in that way. Well, unless…" Atobe thought back on how Jirou always seemed to cling to him whenever possible and all of the times they spent time alone. Holding hands was nothing. They had been doing that since Atobe first found Jirou. Sleeping in the same bed had been going on since the first time Jirou slept over at Atobe's mansion. As for the kissing, that only started in their first year of junior high, but it did not count for anything. Jirou was always affectionate, and it was rude not to reciprocate the action. Besides, it always calmed Jirou down and made him smile whenever the boy was scared or upset. 'No. There has been nothing out of the ordinary happening between Ore-sama and Jirou. Ore-sama doesn't understand why people believe that Ore-sama is dating Jirou when we have never done anything out of the ordinary.'

"Keigo?"

Atobe looked up to find Jirou standing in front of him, wearing only a towel around his waist and looking worried. "Ahn?"

"Are you okay? You were spacing out."

"Ore-sama is fine. Get dressed. Ore-sama will only take a moment to shower and get ready." The captain stood, gathered his things, and quickly entered the showers. He turned the water on full blast to help clear his thoughts. The water soothed and relaxed Atobe's body as his mind wandered. 'Ore-sama is going to kill Fuji. He's the reason for this ridiculous rumor."

Getting out of the shower, Atobe dressed in the outfit he brought along with him for his date with Jirou. It consisted of a dark purple long-sleeved silk shirt that clung to his upper body and a pair of black jeans. Looking into a mirror, Atobe smirked. "Simple yet elegant. Of course, anything having to do with Ore-sama is elegant."

"Wow. You look great, Kei-chan!" Jirou smiled as the taller boy re-entered the locker room.

Atobe glanced over at his singles two player and blinked in surprise.

Jirou was wearing a too big white hoodie and soft black leather pants that clung to his legs. The hoodie hung down about two inches past his waist while the sleeves went past his fingertips. The neck showed off parts of the boy's bare shoulders and chest as he moved, revealing that he was not wearing anything beneath the hoodie, which looked strangely familiar to the captain for some reason. While the pants clung to Jirou's legs enough to accentuate his muscles, they were not tight enough to be considered revealing. The overall effect of the outfit combined with Jirou's wide eyes and soft smile created a look that was both cute and sexy at the same time.

Atobe swallowed as he found his mouth suddenly dry. "Jirou?"

"Yes, Keigo?"

"Where did you get those clothes from?"

"Eh? Oh, I got the pants when I went shopping with Gakuto a little while ago. As for the hoodie…Um…It's yours. I felt like wearing it today."

'Well, that explains why it looked so familiar.'

"Keigo?"

"Ahn?"

"Did you want me to take it off?"

"Ye-" Atobe mentally slapped himself as he realized that he was staring at Jirou's exposed skin. 'What the hell is Ore-sama thinking?'

"Keigo?"

"It's fine, Jirou. It looks good on you."

The strawberry-blonde smiled shyly. "Really?"

"Would Ore-sama lie about that?"

Jirou giggled. "No. You would never lie about that. You usually have no problem telling someone that they don't look good if you really think so."

"True." The taller boy smirked. "After all, no one has a better fashion sense than Ore-sama does. Now let's go before those nosy insects we call friends decide to follow us."

* * *

"Yuushi~!" Gakuto whined as he ran laps with the other members. "Why do we have to run?"

The blue-haired boy sighed as he ran next to his boyfriend. "Because Atobe commanded it and going against his orders usually leads to people getting kicked out of the tennis club."

"But he's not even here right now! And why the hell doesn't Jirou have to run?"

"Because Atobe spoils him. Everyone knows that."

Gakuto snorted. "That's for sure. He imported that sofa in the locker room just so Jirou could have some place to sleep."

"He also had Jirou's tennis bag custom made." Shishido stated as he ran up to them.

"Did he?" Oshitari asked. "I wasn't aware of that."

"Yeah. That's why Jirou doesn't carry a Hyotei tennis bag like the rest of us. Atobe ordered it to be made with extra padding so it would support Jirou's neck and back whenever he falls asleep with it on."

"That explains why the bag matches his coloring. Trust Atobe to make sure it wouldn't clash with Jirou's appearance."

Shishido thought for a second. "Damn. I didn't even realize that."

"Fine! Whatever!" Gakuto bounced impatiently. "What I want to know is why the hell Jirou didn't say anything about him dating Atobe. I mean, he always did hang off of Atobe more than anyone else, but you would think he would start screaming out loud the second he became Atobe's boyfriend to the whole world. Ch'. I even took him shopping to get some new clothes so that Atobe would pay more attention to him. That was a complete waste of time. If I had known that he already go together with Atobe, then I wouldn't have bothered."

"By any chance did Jirou wind up buying a pair of pants when the two of you went shopping?" Oshitari asked, glancing to the side.

"Yeah. Why?"

"And did they happen to be made of black leather and cling to his legs a bit?"

"How the hell do you know that?"

Oshitari chuckled and pointed over Gakuto's shoulder. "I don't think you wasted your time."

The acrobat looked over his shoulder and screeched to a stop, causing Shishido to crash into him.

"Damn it, Mukahi! Why the hell did you stop?"

"Forget that! There's no way that Jirou would be wearing those pants unless he was going on a date with Atobe."

"Ano, senpai…" Ohtori started softly as he fussed over his doubles partner. "Isn't Jirou-senpai wearing the same hoodie that Atobe-buchou wore a few days ago?"

The Regulars all turned to stare at the couple leaving the campus.

"Yuushi, let's follow them!" Gakuto started to chase after the top two singles players before he was lifted off of his feet. "Ack! Kabaji! I'm not Jirou! Put me down!"

Kabaji ignored the screaming, kicking boy thrown over his shoulder and continued running laps.

Hiyoshi's eyes narrowed. "Atobe-buchou is slacking. Heh. It'll make it that much easier to gekokujou him."

Shishido shook his head. "There is something seriously wrong with that guy. Then again, he can actually play doubles with Mukahi. That automatically makes him insane."

"But Shishido-senpai, didn't you play doubles with Mukahi-senpai against Atobe-buchou before?"

"That doesn't count!"

"But-"

"Ch'. Gekidasa daze." Shishido grabbed Ohtori's arm and dragged him along.

Oshitari chuckled again. "You're lucky you have Kabaji to help out, Atobe. He's the only reason you and Jirou aren't being stalked by the Regulars right now."

"Oi, Yuushi! Move your ass! If we have to run, then so do you!"

"You're not even running! Kabaji's carrying you!"

"Shut up, Shishido!"

* * *

"Sugoi! This place is awesome!"

Atobe smiled slightly as he watched Jirou bounce up and down in excitement. He had taken Jirou to a dance club that was pretty popular with the high school and university students. While they were younger than a majority of the crowd, the owners knew better than to say anything to the Atobe heir. Besides, it was not the first time Regulars from the Hyotei junior high tennis club had entered the club. Since none of them ever asked for any alcoholic drinks, the owners let them be. Not to mention that business always picked up when they hit the dance floor. The short redhead that usually came with a blue-haired, bespectacled boy was a popular dancer in the club.

"Ne, Kei-chan? Can we go dance now?" Jirou asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Ah. That is what Ore-sama brought you here for after all."

"Yay!" The strawberry-blonde bounced onto the dance floor and immediately began moving to the beat of the music, quickly gaining the attention of the other dancers. Unbelievably, Jirou was actually one of the best dancers in Hyotei. Whenever he and Gakuto would team up and perform dance routines they created together, no one could beat them. That was why they had won their school's talent competition three years in a row.

Atobe frowned slightly as a crowd began to gather around Jirou. The other boy was un-phased by the spectators, but Atobe began to worry a bit as he realized how close some of the other dancers were getting to the volley specialist. A few actually invaded the space around Jirou to try and get him to dance with them, but, to Atobe's relief, he merely giggled and danced away. The taller boy froze however, as one of the club's security guards approached the strawberry-blonde.

Jirou nodded to whatever the man told him, waved at Atobe, and followed the security guard through the crowd out of his captain's sight.

"Jirou!" Atobe called out, quickly scanning the crowd. He moved through the mass of people to the point where he last saw Jirou without spotting the boy anywhere. Atobe began to panic before he remembered exactly why this club was so popular and looked up.

The roof of this club had several platforms hanging down at different levels. Especially skilled dancers would be pulled from the crowd on the ground and given the chance to dance on one of the platforms. The higher off the ground the platform was, the more skilled the dancer was. It often became a competition to see who could get to the highest platform and stay there the longest.

Atobe knew that Gakuto came to the club often and was good enough to immediately be placed on the highest platform whenever he felt like competing against the other dancers. Knowing that Jirou danced just as well as the redhead even if the singles player was not as acrobatic, he ignored the lower platforms filled with dancers to look up at the highest platform. As he expected, Atobe saw Jirou being helped onto the highest platform to the annoyance of the other platform dancers who had been trying to take that position.

Jirou looked down at the crowd below him and waved once again as he caught Atobe's eye. The strawberry-blonde closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and immersed himself in the music. His hands rose above his head, crossed at the wrists, as he arched his back and let his head fall backwards with his mouth parted slightly. Jirou held this position for a moment before his body came to life in accordance to the music. His hips moved in beat with the steady tempo the bass was playing while his hands roamed over his body. His flexible wrists allowed him to move his hands in patterns that no one else in the club was able to mimic. As his hands slid up and down his body, they would occasionally lift the hem of the white hoodie up, revealing flashes of pale skin.

"Damn. Check out the top dancer."

Atobe took his eyes off of Jirou to turn and see who had just spoken. To his right stood a pair of university aged students, a male redhead with spiked hair and another male with long black hair tied back in a ponytail. The one with red hair was the one who had spoken.

The black-haired student looked up, and his eyes narrowed in interest. "Hm…I haven't seen that one around before. He looks kind of young though. How old do you think he is?"

The redhead smirked. "Old enough if he's in this place, especially if he's good enough to get to the top. I saw him first, so I get him."

Atobe growled lowly. 'Who the hell does this insignificant creature think he is to be speaking of Jirou like that?'

The one with the ponytail glanced to his friend before looking back up at Jirou. "That kid looks like he's still in junior high. He can't be older than fifteen."

"Like I said, if he's in this place and on the top platform, then he's old enough."

"Seriously? He's just a kid. Look, I know you like good dancers, but I think you should leave him alone. He's probably here with someone anyways. You know that whenever a kid from junior high comes here, he's never alone. Like that one red-haired kid that always gets to the top. He always comes with his boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?"

"If you couldn't tell that those two are together, then you're an idiot."

The redhead scoffed. "Stupid. I know those two are having sex with each other, I just want to know why you think they're in a relationship."

"…No wonder you're still single."

Atobe scowled as he listened to the conversation between the two older males. He lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, the sound somehow managing to be heard over the loud music. It caught the attention of most of the people around him, including the two university students, and Jirou on the platform.

Jirou looked down to see his captain staring up at him and tilted his head to the side in a silent question.

The silver-haired boy pointed to the ground in front of him imperiously.

Jirou pouted and crossed his arms.

Atobe just shook his head and pointed to the ground once again, one hand on his hip.

Jirou sighed but moved to the edge of the platform, waving the taller boy to move closer to it.

Atobe raised an eyebrow in disbelief but moved closer towards the platform and nodded once.

Jirou smiled brightly and happily hopped off the platform.

Several people who had been watching the strawberry-blonde screamed as he fell towards the ground.

Atobe ignored the screams of the panicking crowd and carefully adjusted his position. When the timing was right, he quickly lifted his arms and caught the volley specialist, cradling the smaller boy to his chest. "Was that really necessary?"

Jirou giggled and snuggled closer to Atobe. "Well, you wanted me to come down, right?"

The silver-haired boy chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "Ore-sama thinks you just gave most of the people here a heart attack."

"Why? It wasn't like I was in any danger."

"Jirou, you just fell from about two and a half stories from the ground."

"So?"

"You could have been killed."

"Not possible."

"Explain that logic to Ore-sama."

"Kei-chan was here, and Kei-chan would never let me get hurt."

"Jirou, what if Ore-sama was unable to catch you?"

"Eh?"

"What if Ore-sama was unable to catch you for some reason?"

Jirou's brow wrinkled in confusion as he looked up at Atobe. "I don't get it."

Atobe sighed. "Never mind. Just never do that when Ore-sama is not with you, okay?"

"I know that, Kei-chan! I'm not stupid. I could get killed if I did that!"

"You could have gotten killed now!"

"Not possible. Kei-chan was here."

Atobe sighed once again and shook his head. He set Jirou down gently before ruffling strawberry-blonde curls. "Come on. Ore-sama wouldn't be a very good date if Ore-sama didn't have a single dance with you.

Jirou squealed in delight and proceeded to drag Atobe to a more private section of the club, missing the glare the taller boy shot over his shoulder.

* * *

The black haired university student laughed when he saw the glare directed at his friend. "Told you that kid wouldn't be here alone. Damn, though. I didn't think that he would be here with the Atobe heir. You never stood a chance."

The redhead scowled. "Shut up."

"Try looking for someone your own age next time. Who knows? You might get lucky."

"Oh really? And what makes you think t-" He broke off in shock as another tongue was suddenly invading his mouth. By the time he shook off his daze, all he saw was a length of black hair whipping past the dance floor towards the exit. "Oi! Wait up!"

* * *

Jirou sighed happily as he danced with Atobe. While the other boy usually preferred more refined dances, such as the waltz or tango, his captain could still hold his own on the club's dance floor.

After an hour of dancing, Atobe led Jirou off of the dance floor. "Let's go. You must be hungry."

"Ah."

When the two were safely in Atobe's private limo, Jirou climbed onto the other's lap so that they were face-to-face. "Keigo?"

"Ahn?" Atobe's arms automatically wound around Jirou's waist to keep the boy from falling.

The strawberry-blonde hesitated slightly before shaking his head. "Oh, what the hell? He's not going to get it any other way."

Atobe froze as Jirou's lips pressed against his own, and he felt hands moving to grip his hair. When his mouth fell open slightly in surprise, the other boy's tongue slid in, rubbing against his own. His brain finally kicked in when he was in need of air, and he pulled back, separating their lips. "Jirou?"

The volley specialist was panting and refused to meet his eyes.

"Jirou, look at Ore-sama." When he could finally see the other's eyes, Atobe saw fear in them. "Jirou, what's wrong?"

"Sorry, Keigo." Jirou panted, still breathless. "It's just…Well, you weren't figuring it out on your own, and you don't like to use your insight on me. I mean…I love you. I think that I fell in love with you back when we first met. Well, maybe not love, but I really, really, really, really liked you. I know that I've loved you since the first year of junior high for sure though. I thought that you would have figured it out by now. After all, Gakuto figured out that I liked you, and you're way smarter than he is. But I don't just like you of course. I love you. And I know that you probably don't feel the same since you're Atobe Keigo and could have anyone that you want. But I just really wanted you to know. Fuji-san was actually the one who said that I should just kiss you. I wasn't going to actually do it though! But you still weren't figuring it out, and I just had to let you know before someone else did. Well, someone who's not one of your fangirls that it. You get like a hundred love confessions a day from them. It's just that I…" Jirou gulped and took several deep breaths to calm himself down. He had averted his eyes from Atobe's during his rambling confession but now raised them to stare straight into his oldest friend's eyes. When he spoke, his voice was strong and full of conviction. "I'm in love with you Atobe Keigo, and I always will be. Even if you never love me the same way that I love you, I will still be in love with you."

Atobe stared into Jirou's eyes, deep in thought. He had gotten love confessions before, hundreds in fact, but never had he gotten one like this. Never had he gotten one so heartfelt. His fangirls said that they loved him, but they only loved what he appeared to be. They loved his appearance, his fortune, his social position, everything that made him Atobe and nothing that made him Keigo. Jirou…Jirou loved Keigo. There was no doubt in his mind about that. This was the only time he could even think of that Jirou had ever used his family name when addressing him. He had always been Keigo or Kei-chan to the smaller boy, never Atobe. He searched for any sign of uncertainty in the other's eyes, any indication that Jirou did not know exactly what his words meant. He found none.

'He really means it.' Atobe thought in silent shock. 'He knows exactly what he's saying, and he still means it.'

Jirou had chosen his words carefully. Instead of merely stating 'I love you' as he looked into Atobe's eyes, he had made sure to say 'I'm in love with you.' As he continued to stare into Atobe's eyes, refusing to look away, he could see the silver-haired boy working that out in his mind. He knew that even though he had kissed the other boy if he had only said 'I love you,' then Atobe would have rationalized it as Jirou being affectionate. After all, Jirou would have no problem telling any of his friends that he loved them.

Atobe took a deep breath and let his eyes slide closed. After thinking over everything the past years with Jirou have meant to him and finally taking a closer look at his own emotions, he realized that while Jirou spend most of the time asleep, he himself was the one who truly needed to wake up. However, there was one more thing he needed to know before he finally opened his eyes. He knew what anyone else, even himself, would answer, but he needed to know what Jirou would say. "Jirou, who am I?"

Atobe Keigo. Hyotei's Ice Emperor.

"You're Kei-chan."

"Why?"

"Because Keigo is Keigo, but Kei-chan is mine."

Hearing the exact same words in his mind as an echo of the past, Atobe smiled and opened his eyes. "Ah. As long as Jirou is mine."

Jirou's eyes brightened as he saw the change in Atobe's eyes. "Always. I'm glad that you're finally awake, Kei-chan."

"Mm. Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long, but I'll say it now. I'm in love with you, Akutagawa Jirou."

"Ah~!"

"What?!" Atobe asked worriedly, looking around for what may have caused the strawberry-blonde in his lap to scream.

"You didn't use 'Ore-sama!'"

"That's what you took notice of?"

Jirou giggled. "No. I love you, Kei-chan."

"Ore-sama loves you too."

"Hey~!"

Atobe chuckled and took Jirou's pouting lips in a deep kiss.

Tbc…

* * *

A/N: Once again, I apologize for how long it took me to update this story. Real life once again refused to allow me the time necessary to write this chapter, and I also had a case of writer's block. I hope that this chapter didn't disappoint. I had the toughest time trying to figure out where Atobe and Jirou should go for their date. This is what I finally came up with once I got over my writer's block. I hope that you all enjoyed it.


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